Door-locking mechanism



Aug. 3 1926.

A. E. ZIMMER 4noon LocKING MEcHANI sm Filed Deo. 1o. 1921 .N .y m Y l \\\N` NM1 o V .l IW/J \If Y nuullhn n Huur 1 1 l l 1 1 1 1 1 1 1V 1 l 1 1 1 l 1 NN L 1 mw y mx km,

Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

UNITED STATES isaiasi aren-r oFFlce.

ALBERT E. ZIMMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ENTERPRISE RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DOOR-LOCKING MECHANISM.

Application lred December 10, 1921. Serial No. 521,307.

This invention relates to improvements in door locking mechanisms.

The object of the invention is to provide an efiicient mechanism for retaining doors in closed position7 the mechanism being especially adapted for dump carsand of such construction that it may be manufactured and applied at very small expense.

In the drawing` forming a part of this l0 specication, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a drop bottom dump car showing my improvements in connection therewith. VFigure 2v is a vertical, transverse, sectional view of the car corresponding substantially tothe line 2-2 of Figure 1. And Figure is a detail sectional view corresponding to the section line 3 3 of Figure A Y A In the drawing I have sho-'wn only enough of carryingxoutthe invention. will be 'understood by those skilled in the art, the mechanism may be duplicated for each of the doors with which the car is provided.

In said drawing, 10 denotes one ofthe channels employed to malte up the usual type of girder center sill, 11 a longitudinally extending central floor strip or plate, 12 the side wall of the car, 13 the side stakes, 14 one of the diagonal side wall braces and 15 an angle side sill. A floor door is indicated at 16, the same being pivotally attached to the center sill by suitable hinge butts 17 pivotally connected to castings 18- riveted to the channel 10, thus adapting the floor door 16 to swing about an axis extending lengthwise of the car and with the vfree edge of the door adjacent the side of the car.

To hold the door in closed position, I preferably employ the following arrangement. Secured to the under side of the door near each side edge thereof is a brace 19 of inverted U-shape, each of said braces 19 having its outer end downwardly deflected as indicated at 2O to clear the usual edge outwardly horizontally as indicated at 22, the latter extension passing beyond the plane Vof the side wall-of the car, as clearly shown in Figure 2. i

i .Secured within the outer end of each brace 19 is a cast block 23, theflatter hav- J ing the lower. face. 2a thereof disposed slightly below the' lower edges of the flanges of 'the brace 19 that the fweaij Awill" taire of the car structure to illustrate the manner place on the block 23 rather than upon the brace 19. At a point removed from the extreme end of the brace 19, theblock 23 Vis provided with a downwardly extending shoulder or lug 25, which acts as a limiting stop for the supportingv loop, as hereinafter describec. I

In line with each of the braces 19, I provide al U-shaped supporting loop designated generally by the reference A. Said loops,

as shown, are non-rotatably mounted on a common ylongitudinally extending shaft 26 which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 27-27 formed on a corresponding pair of supporting brackets 28-28 which are riveted to theside wall structure-of the car so as to locate the shaft 26 approximately at the saine level as the top of the door 16. With this construction, it will be observed that the two loops A-A are movablein unison. Preferably the ends ofthe shaft 26 are made of square cross section as indicated at 26 and the openings in the free ends of themarms of the loo-ps A correspondingly hanging freely in a vertical position, the

upper corner edge 32 of the corresponding door brace will engage with said beveled face 31 and push the loop outwardly when the door is being raised. When the door has been elevated to fully closed position, the loop is then free to slip under the ends of n the braces to the position shown in Figure 2 flange 21 ofthe door, and thence extended and the swinging movement limited by the stop lug 25.

At the top, one arm of each loop A. is provided with an upward extension or tail-piece 33, the back face of which is slightly vupwardly and outwardly beveled as lindicated at 3e` in Figure 2. Adapted to cooperate with each ofthe tailpieces 33 isha sectorlike; plate 35 pivotally" supported between the carstructure :and a flange .3.6 of the release of thedoors.

bracket casting 28, as by means ofthe pivot bolt 37. Each plate 35 has a finger-piece extension 38 to facilitate manipulation thereof. lVhen the loops Aare in their vertical operative position,Y the plates 35 'are swung downwardly behind the tail-pieces 33 and cammed by the surfaces 3A so as to hold the loops A rigidly in proper supporting` position.

At the bottom, each of the loops A is also provided with a horizontal longitudinally extending lug 89, the lugs 89 being preferably extended toward the nearest side stakes or other depending portions of the side wall structure of the car. rlhe lugs 39 provide efficient fulcruin points for prying the loops A from under the door braces,V it being understood that suitable pinch bars or other 'tools are inserted beneath the lugs 39 with the ends of the pinch bars resting upon an adjacent part of the car. f y

With the arrangement shown, it will be seen that the` parts may readilybeniaintained in locked position without any danger of accidental opening of the doors. The release of the doors is easily eifected by 'first throwing out the locking plates 35 and then prying one of the loops outwardly-in the manner above described. In the instance' shown where the two loops are secured to a common shaft, manipulation of one loop will be suliicient to effec-t either the locking or As will be understood by those skilled in Vthe art, the loops and associated parts may be mounted independently without in any wise departing from the spirit of theY invention. All changes and modifications coming within the scope of theclaims are contemplated.

Iclaim: Y

1. A locking mechanism for vehicles having a discharge door pivoted to a relatively vfixed portion of the body thereof, said mechanism comprising:V an Vextension from the free edge of the door a pivotally suspended latch element in line with and adapted to engage under said extension; and means for positively locking said element in its operative posit-ion to prevent it coming out from under said extension, said means comprising'a'tail-piece extending from the upper end ofthe latch element and a pivotally mounted member adapted to swing on an axis right angles to the axis of said element. in position behind said tail-piece.'

2.A A locking mechanism for vehicles having a discharge door pivoted to a relatively fixed portion of the body thereof, said mechanism including a braceV secured to the under side oft-he door and extending beyond' the free edge thereof, said brace being of inverted U-shape; a block secured within said extended endof` the 'brace and haying a bearing face downwardly odset below the edges 'of' the anges of said brace, said' block having a limiting stop shoulder on the under side thereof; and a loop pivotally 'supported Vfrom the body portion of the veengage said'- under face of dumpy car door, the combination with an extension from the free edge or the door, said extension ybeing provided on the under side thereof with a limiting stop'ishoulder; of a loop pivotallysuspended from the body of the car adapted to swing under said extension and he limited 'in its swinging movements thereunder by said shoulder, said loop having an upwardly extended tail-piece; and a pivotally mounted locking plate adapted to be swung-between said tail-piece and the body` of the car to thereby lock said loop .in operative position.

5. In a locking mechanism for a pivoted dump car door, the combination with an extension from the freeedge of the door; of a supporting loop -pivotally suspended from the body of the car adapted to engage under said extension, said loop being provided atl the bottom thereof with a laterally extended pry-off lug and an upwardly extended taillpiece at the top thereof; and a pivotally mounted locking plate adapted toswing behind said tail-piece to hold the loop in operative position'. A

6. In a locking mechanism fora pivoted dump car door, the combination with a pair of spaced armsV extending from the free edge of the door,` of a shaft pivotally supported on the body of the car opposite the free edge of the vdoor and parallel to Vthe pivotal axis of the door; av pair of loops non-rotatably secured to said shaft in .line 'with said extended arms r`and adapted to engage under the latter to thereby support the'door in closed position; and means for A ing an opening therein to form a earing, a, vswingiirgf link mounted in said bearing, a

'member securedto the door and extending outwardly lbeyond the free side o fthecar body, means secured to the outer end of said member to form an engaging surface for the bottom round of said link and means for holding the link in engagement With said means secured to said member to thereby support the door in a locked position.

8. In a. locking mechanism for a pivoted dumping door7 the combination With apair of spaced projections from the free edge or' the door; of a pair of loops pvotally suspended from the body of the vehicle in line with said extensions and adapted to engage under 'the latter to thereby sup-port the door in closed position; means for operating said loops in unison; and means associated with each of the loops and movable in the path thereof for locking the saine in closed position whereby the locking of one loop will also effectively serve to lock the other of said loops.

9. In a looking mechanism for a pivoted dump door, the combination with a pair of spaced arms extendingfrom the free edge of the door; of a pair of loops pivotally suspended from the body of the vehicle in line with said extended arm adapted to engage under the latter to thereby support the door in closed position; separate locking` .means movable in the path of the respective loops; and means for insuring the movement of the loo-ps in unison when swung in either direc-tion'.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of Nov. 1921.

ALBERT zii/rama. 

